2008 Woodie Awards
Men's soccer season ends in conference tournament
Ken Leiviska, Staff Writer
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After battling injuries and off-field distractions, the men's soccer team ultimately attained an early season goal-making it to the conference tournament.
Although the team suffered a disappointing loss in the tournament to Lawrence University, the men ended their regular season play on a high note with a victory over Carroll College.
"That was the best game ever," says junior midfielder Weston Radford. The finale match resulted in a victory, earning them a spot in the conference tournament.
"I could have cried at the end of that game," says sophomore forward Andrew McKee.
Second-year head coach Todd Parker is satisfied with the men's performance.
"They've learned to compete as true champions," says Parker. "[The conference tournament] was an awesome opportunity."
Despite mid-season struggles to pull out wins, the team bounced back with resilience and finished strong.
"We had to win our last three games," says senior Brady Nelson. "We just played our hearts out for 90 minutes each time and got it done."
He also feels the season's final win helped their intensity. "It felt like a playoff game already," Nelson comments. "It just made us hungrier."
Part of the reason the team was able to succeed is because they are a well-knit group.
"One thing we have over every other team is chemistry," says junior defender Aaron Janasiak. "We do everything together."
Another strength is team defense. They allowed only ten goals in nine conference games. "Our goalie is a stud," says junior Curtis Schrank, defender, of junior goalkeeper Dave Freisleben. "It's not a stat, but it's a fact."
Freisleben's talent was recognized by the Midwest Conference when he earned defender of the week honors.
The team is already setting their sights on the future.
"Certainly this was a good stepping stone," says junior Ryan Gustafson, of the team's conference qualifying. "I'm pretty excited about what we have in store for next year."